Home builders are confronted with significant challenges in offering high quality structures at competitive prices. Design trends as well as fluctuations in lumber and labor costs often prevent builders from obtaining a reasonable profit for their work. In response to marketplace uncertainties, steel-framed home construction is becoming popular.
Builders are attracted to the strength, termite resistance and dimensional stability of steel. Steel materials being used in modern residential construction are also relatively lightweight and easy to handle. Therefore, homes with larger open spaces, longer floor spans and higher walls are possible.
Homes constructed with steel frames have proven to be more durable than those framed with wood. In areas vulnerable to hurricanes or earthquakes, they are better able to withstand induced loads. Further, because steel is non-combustible, homes constructed from steel easily comply with local codes and fire regulations. Because it is termite-proof, pesticide treatments are also unnecessary. Thus, health experts recommend steel framing for chemically sensitive home buyers seeking the best possible interior air quality.
Most residential steel framing is assembled using the "stick-built" construction method. Stick-built construction utilizing steel components is similar to that involving wood. Layout and assembly are the same except for one crucial difference, steel components are joined together with screws rather than nails. Thus, some residential builders have been hesitant to utilize steel components because construction tends to proceed at a somewhat slower pace and the retraining of framing crews, accustomed conventional wood framing methods, is required. A need, therefore, exists for a high-strength, metallic girder which preserves the advantages of conventional wood framing methods when used.